Aiming to make a very big splash

CREATING water features costing millions of pounds is the target for a new Oldham business.

Headed by general manager Andrew Harrison, Fountains and Features has opened in the Meridian Centre, King Street, as a division of multi-million-pound turnover electrical and mechanical contracting group Grimwood and Dix.

Mr Harrison (47), from Milnrow, has seven years experience of the water features industry and intends growing the fledgling business into a fully autonomous arm within the Dukinfield-based group.

Also in the team are design draughtsman Bob Roscoe, from Chadderton, and programmer and engineer Joe Knox, from Milnrow.

The firm is securing business in the North-West and is on target for a turnover in the region of £350,000 in its first financial year.

“We design and build water features for indoor or outdoor sites, for parks, tourist sites — even private gardens,” said Mr Harrison, who is keen to expand the business base throughout the UK and, ultimately, abroad.

In his previous employment he was part of a team that designed and installed a £3 million fountain in Bahrain and he knows the expertise within his new team can also deliver such a project.

“That is the long-term aim, obviously, but we have all the skills already to create such a feature,” he added.

The team is currently working on a £70,000 contract at Liverpool Hope University for two fountains.

Mr Harrison believes there is a market for water features in leisure areas such as shopping malls, .

“There are lots of end uses for fountains and water features and we intend to build on our knowledge of the industry to become a player in the worldwide market.

“All that is the future, we are intent in the short-term on becoming a solid business but we have the ability to deliver at any level of size or complexity already,” he added.